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Thinking back to the last time I drove a Kia Soul — at our 2010 Car of the Year competition in September 2009 — I struggled to remember much of anything about the experience. I recall liking the style and shape, which reminded me of a chic chukka, and I know I was impressed with the interior’s gadget connectivity and 53.4 cubic feet of cargo capacity. But the driving experience?

In my defense, the 2010 COTY-contending Soul, per our writeup in the January 2010 issue, touted a lackluster 142-hp four-cylinder, a vague five-speed manual, and an unrefined chassis. In other words, it was dynamically forgettable.

Enter the second-gen 2014 Kia Soul. The automaker claims “the all-new 2014 Soul is totally transformed. Built on an all-new chassis that is nearly 29 percent stiffer than before, the Soul places a premium on driving dynamics.” All right, totally transformed with a premium on dynamics — surely it would fare well in the 2014 COTY test, no? Despite being eligible, the Soul didn’t show up. (Kia claimed it couldn’t source a test example in time.)

It’s a shame, really, because after having logged nearly 1000 miles in one, I think the Soul would have received plenty of affection — perhaps even enough to turn our COTY judges into dancing, grinning hamsters. Sure, the Soul would’ve struggled to unseat the calipers-claiming Cadillac CTS, but it had a great shot to claim a Finalist spot. Let’s look at the Soul against the six key criteria.

Advancement in Design: Much of the Soul’s popularity (more than 100,000 sold annually in 2011, ’12, and ’13) comes from its cute, boxy shape and eye-catching interior. For 2014, the design got better. Wearing influences from the racy Track’ster concept, the Soul’s facade appears sportier and more refined, and the interior, with its upgraded materials, switchgear, layout, and cargo capacity (up 7.9 cubic feet), suggests anything but econocar.

Performance of Intended Function: During my weeklong jaunt, I found the Soul a stylish standout that was rewarding and economical to drive and offered a feature-laden interior with notable room and cargo capacity. Home run.

Engineering Excellence: With its improved body stiffness, thanks in part to a big bump of ultra-high-strength steel, the Soul feels decidedly solid. The three-setting Flex Steer system is silly (Normal is sufficient), but the dynamics and ride/handling are commendable. It’s also quiet — vocal cords will feel no exertion when conversing on the highway at 70 mph.

Efficiency: The 164-hp, 2.0-liter DI I drove boasted EPA numbers of 23/31 mpg city/highway. For a 3087-pound compact wagon, those numbers should be higher. Still, during my 953-mile run, I saw 27.4 mpg — solid, no matter how you slice it.

Safety: The 2014 Kia Soul earned a five-star overall score with the NHTSA and with the IIHS, the car was a 2013 Top Safety Pick. That said, the IIHS didn’t subject it to the new small overlap front test, so no word whether it’s “+”-worthy.